Saxophonist Warren Hill was born in Toronto; one of five children, he began playing guitar at the age of eight, and by his teens was fronting a local rock group. Originally he turned to the sax only to play in his school band, making the instrument his total focus following his introduction to jazz during a summer program at the Eastman School in Rochester, NY. Influenced by David Sanborn, Hill played each weekend in a local combo while studying physics at the University of Toronto, eventually dropping out to pursue music full time.